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Hunt For Diamonds at the World’s First Diamond Safari

Think of South Africa, and an exciting, wild safari adventure must surely be among the first things that come to mind. After all, the country has long been pegged as the destination for spotting wildlife and its great variety, where the word “safari” could almost be used interchangeably with “South Africa”.

Now, a new kind of safari is underway. Set to be the world’s first ever diamond safari, the newest unveiling is a collaborative effort by Cape Town’s Ellerman House hotel and Benguela Diamonds in a staggering US$15,000 package.

The never-before-seen adventure sees you and five other guests flying from Cape Town International Airport’s private terminal, via private jet, all the way to the remote town of Port Nolloth. The small domestic seaport, set on the west coast of South Africa, was once a significant enclave for mining copper in the 1880s, and came bursting back into the spotlight in the 1920s thanks to the discovery of diamonds within the vicinity. While the diamond craze has significantly waned, thanks to a lesser abundance of gems, the treasures have not completely disappeared from this incredibly mineral-rich trove, and divers who scour the seabed can still hope to uncover precious gems.

After breakfast, you are welcome to join the Benguela Diamond dive masters in searching the watery depths, as long as you have a Padi Open Water 1 certificate. If not, the other option is to simply watch the team in their element, as you accompany them by boat.

Though the gems aren’t quite so abundant today, the region remains mineral-rich and these treasures can still be uncovered by divers who trawl the sea bed for gems. With their base for the day a modern seafront villa, clients who book the package will follow breakfast by either diving with Benguela Diamond dive masters (a Padi Open Water 1 certificate is required) or accompanying the team by boat and watching as they scour the depths for treasure. According to representatives, it won’t be hard finding something precious in the waters, “pretty much 100 per cent” to be exact, where every rough diamond found will be crafted into a lovely piece of jewelry at Benguela Diamond’s Stellenbosch studio.

From the mining process all the way to the end product, Benguela Diamonds founder Wynand Hendrikse says that the company is the first in the world to provide such an all-encompassing experience. Better yet, it takes a grand total of just three days to have a beautiful, bespoke creation from the rough stone you uncovered.